I've got this buddy who is a Mets fan.

We were going back and forth texting last weekend when the Phillies were in Shea. Despite the Phillies series win, "Mr. Met" was feeling confident with his team.

Not anymore.

His two messages last night - after the latest, blow-bullpen Mets defeat - were far shorter and pessimistic.

"Mets at it again," he wrote.

"Pedro is this year's Glavine," he chimed in again.

There are 12 games left in the baseball season for the Phillies (13 for the Mets). Through the first 150 games, all everyone has talked about is last year, and the effect the Mets collapse would have on this season.

It may be premature (although Mr.Met sounding off could be a sign, too), but the Mets mental makeup may be doing them in again. It's like that self-fulfilling prophecy idea I learned in PSYCH 101 back in college: if the Mets go into the final three innings of every game thinking the bottom is going to fall out, the bottom will fall out.

But as Phils sage veteran Jamie Moyer has said all season, his team can't be concerned about what the Mets or any other team is doing. Because if the Phillies don't take care of business on their own end, none of that matters.


The Phils (1/2 game back of the Mets in the division, tied with Milwaukee in the wild-card race) will begin their final 12-game stretch tonight in Atlanta, where they're 6-0 this season. Moyer, a model of consistently this season, takes the ball.

While they'll surely try to take care of things on their own end, my guess is the Phils will peak at the out-of-town scoreboard sometime close to 9:30 tonight to see if the Mets meltdown continues...

...and I'll check my phone for more, ready-to-jump-off-the-bridge text messages from Mr. Met.